Expandable,transportable,prefabricated containerized buildings



Nov. 17; 1 70 s, JOHMDES 3,540,173

EXPANDABLE, TRANSPORTABLE, PREFABRICATED CONTAINERIZED BUILDINGSOriginal Filed May 21, 1967 INVIL N'IUR w Jay/mos United States Patent O3,540,173 EXPANDABLE, TRANSPORTABLE, PREFABRI- CATED CONTAINERIZEDBUILDINGS Stephen Johnides, 20 W. 47th St., New York, N.Y. 10036Continuation of application Ser. No. 634,422, Apr. 21, 1967. Thisapplication Feb. 28, 1969, Ser. No. 806,005 Int. Cl. E04b 1/343; E0411N12 US. Cl. 52-79 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This is acontinuation of application Ser. No. 634,422, filed Apr. 21, 1967, nowabandoned.

The present invention relates to a building structure which is composedof standard size containers and now used for transporting freight byrail, truck, sea, airplane and helicopter.

The most common standard freight container measurements are 8' X 8 X10', 8 X 8 x and 8' X 8' x 40'. In accordance with the present inventioncontainers will leave the factory with as much prefabrication such aswindows, doors, etc. as needed for their practical use such as forvacation homes, rural and suburban homes, tourist dormitories andmilitary barracks, hospitals, and other general purpose buildings. Theywill also leave the factory with completely prefabricated and installeditems needed for their particular use such as kitchens, bathrooms,latrines and any other facilities needed. In the case of hospitals,surgery rooms, laboratories, and other hospital facilities arepre-installed. These containers will leave the factory with as muchprefabricated, pre-installed plumb ing, wiring, lighting, heatingfacilities and any other facili ties required for their particular use.Items such as bedding, tables, chairs, etc. are collapsible and will becarried where space permits in the container in transit. Other suppliescan also be carried in this fashion. When the con tainers are used forhouses, vacation homes and tenement structures (described below) thecontainers will carry furniture items such as beds, tables, chairs, etc.

In addition to being transportable these prefabricated containerizedbuildings will expand and connect at the site to provide greater floorspace than the floor space of the containers in transit. The height ofthe units remains constant at 8 feet (outside). However, multi-storiedstructures are created by the use of tracks, beams, and raised flanges.These buildings are for tenement replacement and billeting of troops.There are two types of containers: (1) end containers and (2)intermediate containers. Both these types of containers have a hingedpanelling (or flaps) system. On the end container the panelling (orflaps) system is only on one of the lateral sides of the container. Onthe intermediate container the panelling (or flaps) is on both lateralsides of the container. The panels (or flaps) when opened become floors,ceilings and walls. When two end containers are placed laterally withthe panels (or flaps) open and connected, a building with twice thefloor space of the two containers in closed position is achieved. Forexample two 40 foot containers "ice create a building 40 feet in length,32 feet in width and 8 feet in height. When intermediate containers areused much larger fioor space is created. For example three 40 footcontainers create a building with open floor space of 40 feet by 56feet. This can be repeated indefinitely. The posts and castings of themain body of the container are rigid and unmovable at the four corners.However some of the other posts of the containers are movable and willbe set at various points at the juncture of the connecting panels (orflaps). When a second (or more) row of containers is attached to thefirst row of containers, using this system, the appropriate end panelsof the containers can be removed and the appropriate folding panels (orfiaps) forming the walls can be eliminated also. In this way, with theexception of supporting posts an unobstructed single building withvirtually unlimited floor space can be created. For the multi-storystructure, prefabricated outside staircases are installed. Eachstaircase serves one vertical line of apartments. Where the hingedpanelling system for expandability is not used, containers with all theprefabrication and transportability features mentioned above can bebuilt at varying lengths, as single room structures or several roombuildings. The height and width is constant at 8 by 8. These units canalso be connected to form larger buildings. This is suited to vacationhouses and motels. The principal advantages of this system areprefabrication, easy and fast shipment, expandability and economy.

Othe objects and advantages will become apparent from the followingdescription of the exemplary embodiments of the invention illustrated inthe drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a pair of expandedend-containers according to the present invention, connected to oneanother in such expanded condition to form a continuous building modulehaving a volume substantially equivalent to twice the initial combinedvolume of the end containers;

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective illustration of a row of expandablecontainers illustrating in dashed lines the expanded conditions thereofand forming in such expanded condition a unitary continuous buildingstructure; and

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of two pairs of end-containerssuch as illustrated in FIG. 1 positioned in expanded condition on top ofeach other to form a multi-storied structure and showing the manner ofattachment of such building modules to each other and to vertical andhorizontal support members.

Referring to the drawings in greater detail, the illustrated container Ais of standard shipping container size, i.e., approximately 8 feet high,8 feet wide and 10, 20 or 40 feet long. The container is formed with atop wall 1, a bottom wall 4, opposite end walls 3 and 5, and anelongated side wall 2. Opposite the elongated side wall 2 the containerA is formed with a plurality of movable panels 1a, 2a, 3a, 4a and 5awhich are initially located within the confines of the 8 foot widthdimension of the container A for purposes of shipping, i.e., duringtransport of the container, and which are preferably hingedly connectedto the remaining portions of the container so as to swing outwardly intothe expanded condition illustrated in dashed lines in FIG. 1, at thebuilding site. In this manner the volume of the container A is doubledin size between its contracted-shipping and its expanded-use conditions.As illustrated, the appropriate panels may be formed with windows 21 anda door 31.

According to another embodiment of the invention, a container B (FIG. 2)is formed with a top wall 11, a bottom wall 14 and opposite end walls 13and 15, respectively. In lieu of opposite elongated side walls, andwithin the confines of the 8 foot standard container width dimension,the container B carries in each of the regions normally reserved forsuch side walls a plurality of preferably hinged panels 11a, 12a, 13a,14a, a and 11b, 12b, 13b, 14b and 15b, respectively. The intermediatecontainer unit B can thus be expanded from its standard shippingcontainer size to a volume three times the initial container size asillustrated by dashed lines in FIG. 2.

FIG. 1 illustrates a module A as described with respect to FIG. I joinedwith its mirror-opposite counterpart A to form a double-ended containerstructure having twice the volume of the original containers. It will benoted that by omitting the wall panel 2a and its counterpart 2a, abuilding structure having an uninterrupted internal space may be formed.

FIG. 2 illustrates a building module in which an intermediate containerB is assembled with a pair of opposed, spaced end-containers A and A,respectively. It will be seen that a unitary building structure havingan enlarged uninterrupted internal space, is formed. It will beunderstood that a pair of mirror-opposite building structures, may beconnected laterally as well as longitudinally to form an expandedbuilding structure of any desired size. Similarly, multi-storiedbuilding structures of any desired size may be formed as illustrated inFIG. 3.

Each story of the multi-storied structure illustrated in FIG. 3 isformed with a pair of mirror-opposite end containers A and A,respectively. According to one embodiment of the present invention theend containers may be provided, in the regions of their facing lateralsides, with a plurality of hinged panels 1a, 3a and 1a, 3a, respectively. Thus the panels 3a and 4a forming an end wall and a bottom(floor) wall, respectively, are provided at one lateral face ofcontainer A while the panels 3a and 4a forming respectively another endpanel and floor panel may be hingedly connected with suitableconventional hinges to the opposed lateral wall of a correspondingcontainer A.

The lower story of the structure is similarly constructed. It will beseen that the panels may be hingedly connected in the manner illustratedwith respect to panels 4a and 1a to swivel in the direction of thearrows (FIG. 3) the latter panels being connected to the containers Aand A, respectively, and forming portions of the floor and roof,respectively of the enclosed space intermediate the said containers Aand A.

In accordance with the present invention it is preferred to provide abase support or foundation 50 on which to mount the structures at thebuilding site. This foundation 50 may be in the form of a pair of tracksor beams 51 laid on a level ground surface and adapted to support and beconnected to the structures previously described. As illustrated in FIG.3 a multi-storied building structure comprised of a plurality of modulesA and A is supported on a foundation 50 which also has connectedthereto, at substantially the mid-point thereof, a pair of verticalreinforcing bearns 52 which are spanned at different spaced elevationswith a plurality of horizontal reinforcing beams 53. The latter beamsare suitably connected to the respective floor-and-ceiling-formingpanels such as panels 1a, 1a and 4a, 4a, hinged to the container units Aand A, respectively. FIG. 3 illustrates a manner in which a centralsupport may be provided for the multistoried structure using thebuilding modules illustrated in FIG. 1.

A plurality of containers may, according to the present invention form,for example, a dining hall and a kitchen such as could be useful formilitary purposes. It will be seen that with the use of a pair of endcontainers and a plurality of intermediate containers see, for example,FIG. 2, a complete military-type mess hall may be readily assembled toany desired size, i.e., length specifications in multiples of 8 feet.The height of such structure will also be in multiples of 8 feet and thewidth will be 10, 20, or 40 feet or a multiple thereof. The illustratedend-container, 'for example container A, may be prefabricated withcomplete kitchen equipment pre-assembled therein. The unit, namely endcontainer A, is then transported with the kitchen equipment and utensilsalready assembled. When expanded, at its ultimate destination theinwardly facing lateral side of end-container A is open since the panelswhich were hingedly located at such inwardly facing side have beenswiveled outwardly to form a portion of the floor, ceiling, and endpanels of the space intermediate the end container A and the nextadjacent container unit.

While particular embodiments of this invention have been shown anddescribed, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that variouschanges and modifications may be made without departing from thisinvention in its broader aspects, and it is, therefore, aimed in theappended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fallwithin the true spirit and scope of this invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A building structure comprising:

a generally rectangular, box-shaped, container having dimensionsgenerally compatible with being trans ported on highways by a transportvehicle, and having a pair of opposite generally rectangular open sidefaces and movable wall means located at each of said side faces;

each of said wall means including a pair of substantially rectangularwall panels hingedly connected to opposite longitudinal edge portions,respectively, of the corresponding one of said container side faces,each of said wall panels corresponding in size to the corresponding sideface of the container and movable between a folded position, in whichsaid hinged wall panels are located substantially within the confines ofsaid container and substantially fully overlie each other and thecorresponding open side face for forming at such side face a double wallclosing said side face and reinforcing said container during transport,and an extended position in which said hinged wall panels extendoutwardly of said container in a direction transverse to the plane ofsaid side face for forming a portion of an enclosure for the spaceexterior of said container adjacent the corresponding side face thereof.

2. The arrangement according to claim 1 wherein each of said side facesof said container is defined by an upper and a spaced lower edge portionextending between a pair of spaced generally vertical edge portions ofsaid container, each of said wall panels having a first and a spacedsecond longitudinal edge portion, said first edge portion of one of eachpair of said wall panels being substantial ly coextensive with andhingedly connected to the upper edge portion of the corresponding one ofsaid side faces and said first edge portion of the other of each of saidpair of wall panels being substantially coextensive with and hingedlyconnected to the lower edge portion of the corresponding one of saidside faces.

3. The arrangement according to claim 2 wherein, in said foldedcondition of said wall panels, said second longitudinal edge portion ofsaid one of said wall panels is substantially coextensive with andlocated adjacent to the corresponding lower edge portion of thecontainer and said second longitudinal edge portion of said other ofsaid wall panels is substantially coextensive with and located adjacentto the corresponding upper edge portion of the container.

4. The arrangement according to claim 1 further comprising a secondgenerally rectangular, box-shaped, container having dimensions generallyidentical with those of said first mentioned container and having agenerally rectangular open side face facing one of said side faces ofsaid first mentioned container and said containers being spaced apart adistance substantially equal to twice the width dimension of one of saidcontainers; movable wall means located at said open side face of saidsecond container, said movable wall means of said second containerincluding a first rectangular wall panel having a first and a spacedsecond longitudinal edge portion, said first edge portion beingsubstantially coextensive with and hingedly connected to the upperhorizontal edge portion of said open side face of said second containerfor movement of said first wall panel with respect to said secondcontainer between a folded position in which said first wall panel islocated substantially within the confines of said second container andan extended position in which said first wall panel extends outwardlytoward the first mentioned of said containers, said movable wall meansof said second container including a rectangular second wall panelhaving a first and a second longitudinal edge portion, said firstlongitudinal edge portion of said second container being substantiallycoextensive with and hingedly connected to the lower longitudinal edgeportion of said open side face of said second container for movement ofsaid second wall panel between a folded position in which said secondwall panel is located substantially within the confines of said secondcontainer and an extended position in which said second wall panelextends outwardly toward said first mentioned container; said pair ofwall panels of said second container having in extended positionthereof, their second longitudinal edge portions substantiallycoextensive with and closely adjacent to the corresponding edgeportions, respectively, of the adjacent pair of wall panels of saidfirst mentioned container, in their extended position forinterconnection therewith for together forming the roof and floor,respectively, for the space intermediate said pair of spaced containers,whereby said adjacent first and second wall panels of said pair ofcontainers cooperate, in extended condition thereof, to form said pairof spaced containers into a unitary building structure occupying a spacewhich substantially ex ceeds the space initially occupied by said pairof containers.

5. The arrangement according to claim 4 further comprising a thirdgenerally rectangular, box-shaped, container having dimensionssubstantially identical to those of said first mentioned container andhaving a generally rectangular open side face facing the other of saidside faces of said first mentioned container and spaced therefrom adistance substantially equal to twice the width dimension of one of saidcontainers, said third container having movable wall means located atsaid open side face thereof, said movable wall means of said thirdcontainer including a first rectangular wall panel having a first and aspaced second longitudinal edge portion, said first edge portion beingsubstantially coextensive with and hingedly connected to the upper edgeportion of said open side face of said third container for movement ofsaid first wall panel with respect to said third container between afolded position in which said first wall panel is located substantiallywithin the confines of said third container and an extended position inwhich said first wall panel extends outwardly toward the first mentionedof said containers, for connection with the oppositely extendingcorresponding wall panel thereof, said movable wall means of said thirdcontainer including a rectangular second wall panel having a first and asecond longitudinal edge portion, said first longitudinal edge portionbeing substantially coextensive with and hingedly connected to the loweredge portion of said open side face of said third container for movementof said second wall panel between a folded position in which said secondwall panel is located substantially within the confines of said thirdcontainer and an extended position in which said second wall panelextends outwardly toward said first mentioned container for connectionwith the oppositely extending corresponding wall panel thereof wherebysaid three spaced containers form a unitary building structure occupyinga space which is substantially equal to seven times the space initiallyoccupied by one of said containers.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 935,744 10/ 1909 Cosgrove 52691,156,693 10/1915 Koger 5279 X 2,247,340 6/1941 Webster 5279 3,005,20510/ 1961 Breen 5279 X 3,118,187 1/ 1964 Alimanestiano 52236 X 3,229,4311/ 1966 Paul 5279 X 3,289,382 12/1966 Van Der Lely 5279 X PRICE C. FAW,JR., Primary Examiner US Cl. X.R. 52236

